Immediate and sustainable impact in 300+ Native communities

Transcription

1 2017 Immediate and sustainable impact in 300+ Native communities

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Major Program Categories To Our Donors, Partners & Collaborators 3 Our Major Programs 4 Food & Water 5 Education 6 Health 7 Holiday Support 8 Animal Welfare 9 Emergency Services 10 Public Awareness 11 OUR MISSION AND VISION: Serving immediate needs, supporting long-term solutions for strong, self-sufficient Native American communities.

3 TO OUR DONORS, PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS To Our Donors, Partners & Collaborators INTRODUCTION TO PWNA As the only Native-led and Native-serving charity to work year-round on 60 reservations across 12 states, Partnership With Native Americans supports some of the most rural, geographically isolated and often impoverished areas of the country, in the ways that programs in each community have identified as priorities. Regardless of a reservation partner s focus (nutrition, education, health, etc.), our goal is to help improve the impact of their local programs and develop local leaders who drive social change within their communities. We use a dual approach, responding to immediate needs by providing food, water and other critical materials, while also supporting community-based projects that sustainably contribute to self-sufficiency. By centering our relief work on goods and services that help address food insecurity, K-12 educational attainment for students, community health and emergency response for natural disasters, PWNA is providing immediate impact for tribal communities with the highest need in the United States. Long-term solutions are vital too yet only viable if they are identified by our reservation partners and help build stronger communities. Native partners turn to PWNA for community investment, capacity building and training services that promote emergency preparedness and sustainable health and wellness. Our service model ensures we build on local assets and bring together individuals, programs, and outside resources for local engagement and empowerment. The Native Americans who live and work in the communities we serve have the solutions to the problems that challenge their quality of life. PWNA is a consistent, reliable source to lift up their efforts and shares with our Native partners the hope that lasting impact and social change will follow. Robbi Rice Dietrich President/CEO Page 1

4 Our Major Program Categories Year-round, PWNA offers diverse programs to help address the complexity of needs on the 60 reservations we serve by working together with our reservation partners. Our support spans their immediate and longer-term concerns relating to food and water, education, health, holiday support, animal welfare and emergency services including disaster relief. These major program categories match those presented in our annual report and form 990. To distribute these essential products to reservations throughout the year, PWNA trucks and staff traveled more than 222,447 miles in The remainder of this report outlines PWNA s impact and aid in 2017, delivered through and in collaboration with multiple partners in more than 300 Native communities. Page 2

5 MAJOR PROGRAM CATEGORY: FOOD & WATER Related PWNA programs: NPRA and SWRA (formerly AIRC and CIN), NAA, NRF, SWIRC and SNRF Situational Need: Low food security insufficient food quality or variety for dietary intake impacts nearly one in four (23%) Native American households. An everyday issue on the reservations PWNA serves, low food security fuels high rates of diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Contaminated drinking water is also an issue in many of the communities PWNA serves. Although many food banks operate within our service area, a study by America's Second Harvest shows that many food banks lack an adequate supply of food to meet demand. PWNA Impact: The purpose of PWNA s Food & Water services is ease food insecurity and support food sovereignty among Native Elders, children and families on the reservations we serve. In 2017, PWNA s continuous food deliveries supported immediate impact and community investment projects supported food sovereignty, providing for a total of 102,155 people, including: Food pantry boxes that helped feed about 42,950 people Staple foods to Elderly Nutrition Programs and soup kitchens that fed approximately 21,553 people hot meals 5 days a week Emergency and breakfast food for about 8,135 people Much needed fresh produce for about 2,545 people across 14 communities Food for approximately 10,015 people at community-wide bulk distributions Holiday meals for thousands in 85 communities, for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter Garden support, taking a long-term view of food sovereignty and dietary health by reaching 1,133 people through individual and community gardens, and 5 community investment projects in Northern Cheyenne, Standing Rock, Santa Clara and Hopi reservation communities Page 3

6 MAJOR PROGRAM CATEGORY: EDUCATION Related PWNA programs: AIEF Situational Need: Education is one of the most important cornerstones of self-sufficiency and quality of life. It is also a crucial factor in addressing the long-term poverty and other challenges on the reservations PWNA serves. High school dropout rates range from 30 up to 70% (varies by community). About 17% of Native American students begin college, and only 13% of Native Americans hold a college degree. Contrary to public perception, college is not free for Native Americans, and many Native students believe college is not an option for them. Thus, non-native students are twice as likely to achieve a college degree. PWNA Impact: The purpose of PWNA s Education services is to invest significant resources toward Native American education and assist students of all ages in pre-kindergarten to college. By addressing K-12 educational needs, PWNA helps our partner schools and colleges motivate students and improve retention, in 2017 benefiting 53,315 students as follows: School supplies for approximately 26,545 students in grades K-12 Essential supplies to support literacy for about 18,063 children on 16 reservations, motivating reading and parent-child reading time Incentive items to help our partners motivate about 8,216 people to participate in programs focused on obesity, exercise and other healthy activities for youth or Elders PWNA also supports higher education and leadership development. Through our American Indian Education Fund (AIEF) program, we award scholarships to students with a mid-range academic ranking and serious drive to graduate college and serve their tribal communities. The academicyear completion rate of AIEF scholars is 90-95%, considerably higher than the national average, and backed by individualized mentoring and selecting of students with a track record for overcoming challenges. Through our Four Directions Development (4D) program, we provide leadership training for emerging leaders who want to make a greater contribution to their communities. In 2017, PWNA funded scholarships, emergency funds and laptops for Native education, and personal and professional development training for emerging leaders, including: More than $487,500 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students More than $36,000 to help universities and tribal colleges increase available tools and funding, and support retention of nearly 110 Native students More than $114,000 in leadership training for 52 people from 18 tribes, and networking support for about 41 alumni of our 4D program Page 4

7 MAJOR PROGRAM CATEGORY: HEALTH Related PWNA programs: NPRA and SWRA (formerly AIRC and CIN), NAA, NRF, SWIRC and SNRF Situational Need: The people PWNA serves on remote and isolated reservations rely on limited Indian Health Services (I.H.S.) for medical care. There are only 500 clinics serving the 573 federally recognized tribes; they are often long distances away and lack of transportation is a major problem. These clinics are also severely underfunded and understaffed for the size and location of the populations they serve, and I.H.S. focuses on healthcare crises rather than preventive care. Accordingly, PWNA supports reservation programs that address preventative care, home health visits, and health education initiatives to address higher infant mortality, lower life expectancy, diabetes at epidemic levels, tuberculosis seven times higher for Native Americans and cancer-related disparities higher than for any minority group in the U.S. Additionally, a long history of oppression has contributed to the limited view of opportunities many Native Americans envision for themselves and their families. Supporting self-determination and requiring people to actively participate in community projects and services to receive supplies and support from PWNA adds to individual and community well-being. PWNA Impact: The purpose of PWNA s Health services is to support preventative care and health education initiatives by reservation programs serving tribal members, and to help them motivate healthy involvement in community service and lifestyles. In 2017, PWNA supported healthy lifestyle programs and community activities for approximately 233,565 people, benefiting: 96,957 participants of health events or other projects designed to increase community involvement in schools, elderly service programs and wellness initiatives Nearly 850 new moms as participants in pre- and post-natal care, parenting and behavioral health programs, receiving baby baskets full of essential products About 444 reservation program partners who conducted health screenings for diabetes, high blood pressure, tuberculosis and cancer; education classes on diabetes prevention, healthy nutrition and heart health; youth programs such as cultural camps or suicide awareness and prevention; health appointments for immunizations, hospital post-release and medication monitoring; and home visits with the homebound or those otherwise unable to access services About 666 participants from 22 tribes, in PWNA-supported community investment projects for nutrition training or emergency preparedness Page 5

8 MAJOR PROGRAM CATEGORY: HOLIDAY SUPPORT Related PWNA programs: NPRA and SWRA (formerly AIRC and CIN), NAA, NRF, SWIRC and SNRF Situational Need: Native American Elders and children on the reservations we assist are certainly aware of holidays celebrated across the U.S., but frequently their families cannot afford special holiday gifts or extras. Up to 61% of Native American children live in lowincome households, many of them raised by grandparents on severely limited, fixed incomes. Poverty rates on the 60 reservations served by PWNA range from 38% to 63%. PWNA Impact: PWNA s Holiday Support is designed to help our reservation partners spread community cheer and community involvement at times when many families are experiencing more stress and disenfranchisement. In 2017, PWNA s holiday services brightened the lives of 49,175 people, with PWNA s gift items reaching: More than 16,000 children and families received incentives and prizes as participants in spring, Easter and other community gatherings planned by our partners About 20,218 delighted children who received holiday stockings, 350 of them with a visit from Santa About 2,775 holiday gifts for infants More than 10,000 holiday gift bags for Elders, filled with practical items to meet immediate needs In addition to spreading cheer and meeting practical needs, these types of holiday distributions also help our reservation program partners develop local volunteers and build skills for future event planning and community service. Page 6

9 MAJOR PROGRAM CATEGORY: ANIMAL WELFARE Related PWNA programs: RAR (formerly ROAR) Situational Need: For some reservation communities, animal welfare and the problems caused by overpopulated and stray animals including disease, animal bites, rabies and other safety factors are immense concerns. Because of this, PWNA supports reservation programs that spay, neuter and vaccinate animals of the reservation; educate communities on proper care of animals; and enable animal groups to care for more animals. PWNA Impact: PWNA s Animal Welfare services are designed to support programs concerned with animal welfare on the reservations and related human health risk in their communities. In 2017, PWNA supported immediate and long-term community concerns increasing the welfare of 38,695 animals, supplying: 16 veterinary or animal welfare programs with supplies to assist in animal rescue and placement More than 38,000 pounds of pet food More than $40,000 in grants for spay/neuter of more than 300 animals on the Navajo, Rosebud, Pine Ridge and Flathead Reservations 78 shipments of supplies to help reduce animal health risk and related community health risk on 9 reservations Miscellaneous leashes, collars, toys, blankets and other essentials for thousands of animals Page 7

10 MAJOR PROGRAM CATEGORY: EMERGENCY SERVICES Related PWNA programs: NPRA and SWRA (formerly AIRC and CIN), NAA, NRF, SWIRC and SNRF Situational Need: The physical environment on the reservations PWNA supports is often harsh, giving rise to a wide range of environmental disasters such as floods, forest fires, blizzards, ice storms, tornados and hurricanes. We are quick to respond to the tribes in and beyond our normal service area when disaster relief is needed. Some communities also experience acute or chronic contaminated-water emergencies. In addition, 90,000 Native Americans are homeless and 40% of Native Americans live in sub-standard, overcrowded housing, with the typical wait time for tribal housing assistance at three years or more. PWNA Impact: The purpose of PWNA s Emergency Services is to provide supplies disaster relief, supplies for shelters and seasonal needs of Elders, and support for emergency preparedness. PWNA rotates our winter readiness and housing services to different communities in the Plains and Southwest to avoid creating dependency. In 2017, PWNA served as a first responder and provided other emergency services benefiting a total of 32,909 people, through: Disaster relief supplies aiding approximately 820 people on 3 reservations, including Cheyenne River, Lake Traverse and Fort Apache Reservations Supplies to residential shelters for the aged, homeless, disabled and domestic abuse victims, assisting about 26,296 people Supplies for some 3,317 children in foster care or other trauma Repair of 8 homes for Navajo Elders, and winter fuel for nearly 330 Elders Winter emergency kits containing blankets, batteries, candles, water, nonperishable food and other items helpful during winter storms, as well as summer emergency kits of water, sunscreen, bug spray, fire extinguishers and other items helpful during summer heat, storms and outages, aiding approximately 2,140 Elders of the Omaha, Rosebud, Santee Sioux, Yankton, Navajo, San Carlos, Mescalero reservations, and Santa Clara Pueblo In 2017, PWNA also supported emergency preparedness for the reservations, through: Emergency response training for more than 500 participants Emergency relief kits distributed to every training participant Emergency planning support for 4 Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River communities Page 8

11 THE NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS The Need for Public Awareness Situational Need: Underpinning the need for all that we do is the need for increased awareness and accuracy regarding Native American cultures and realities on the reservations. The living conditions in many of the remote and geographically-isolated reservation communities PWNA serves are comparable to those found in the developing world. Many Americans are unaware of the extent of poverty and hardship that exist for some Native peoples. Misconceptions also exist, fueling false speculation that Native people receive special government entitlements such as free housing, health care and education under the status of treaties. These misconceptions fuel apathy about Native lives, as well as philanthropic support for Native causes, and help perpetuate poverty in communities with the highest need in the United States. PWNA Impact: The purpose of our Public Education and Awareness effort is to help dispel the persistent misperceptions that deter social equity. We offer a better understanding of modern day reservation life and encourage the public toward inclusivity and support for the self-determined goals of Native communities. In 2017, PWNA reached a potential reading, listening and viewing audience of nearly 83 million people with public education about modern day Native Americans and current challenges and successes on the reservations. We achieve this through a mix of news articles, press releases, radio interviews, social media pages and ads, videos, and relevant content on our web site and blog, as well as donor events in New York City, Washington, D.C. and our headquarters at Addison, Texas. For more information about PWNA education, impact and response to needs in Native communities, we invite you to read our 2017 Annual Report or to contact us by or phone. Contact Info Partnership With Native Americans Addison Road, Suite 200 Addison, Texas Phone: , extension info@nativepartnership.org Page 9